Dredging apparatus



July 28; 1925.

J. F. NEWSOM nasoeme firm-ms Filed July l, 1921 was ATTORNEYS Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT orr cs.

JOHN F. NnwsoM, or rate ALTO, CALIFORNIA.

-" DREnGrN G hummus;

Application fil ed m 21, 1921. Serial No. 486,325.

of Palo Alto, county of Santa Clara, State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Dredging Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to dredging apparatus and particularly to devices operating from pontoons for effectively andeconomically recovering valuable mineral alluvial deposits from metalliferous ground.

This invention relates to' an apparatus adapted for speedy, thorough and economic extraction of'alluvialdeposits of metallic ore and other minerals from rough and irregular ground and which cannot'be reached by the ordinary type 'of bucket or suction dredge and which are therefore lost.

The bucket-dredging and suction-cutting apparatus 'now in common use is'too well known to require any detailed description,

and consists of'any known form of endless chain bucket-dredge or a cutterco'nnected with a gravel suction pump driven by an electric motor or other suitable source of power mounted upon a'pontoon on which is also mounteda revolving screen and thwartship sluices or launders in connection with collecting and concentrating tables, the tailingsbeing discharged overthe stern of the pontoon upon ground alreadyworked.

These bucket-dredges and suction-cutter dredges arefrom their nature adapted for use only when the pontoon is afloat in a pond or paddock, whereas the'dredge of my invention is'adapted for use when the pontoon is floatingon the pond or at rest upon the bottom of such pond or paddock after the same has been pumped dry and after the bucket-dredge or suction-cutter dredge, as the case may be, has ,cleaned up the bottom'as efliciently as the nature of-their constructionwill allow.

My invention consists of a combination with any such known bucket-dredge or suction-cutter dredge,'-mounted ona pontoon, as generally above described of a rope tram and bucket elevating device comprising an upwardly projecting derrick-pole ormast or other similar structure made of wood, steel or any other suitable material, from which are radially extended any'number of wire ropes in any required direction andto any Supported upon each of these wires is a V trolley or carrier of any desired form, preferably provided with a self-tripping arrangement and other automatic features as in common use to which a bucket preferably provided with aself-dumping apparatus in common use, is suspended bymeans of a pull or hoisting li'ne led down the derrickpole or mast and back to a winch mounted on the superstructure of the pontoon and provided with any required "number of drums.

Erectedaround the derrick pole or. other structure before described is a hopper or receiver or receptacle erected in such manner that the circumference, or outer edge of such receptacle, projects'beyond the derrick mast or pole in every radial direction and is thus adapted to receive the material from .the buckets operating from any radial position and to dischargethe same through a cen tral outlet hole leading either directly, or by any suitable means, to a puddler or other disintegrating or washing device.

While in the drawings a funnel-shaped hopper orreceiver is shown, it will be understood that thisreceiver may be of any suitableform' and arrangement and still be within the purview of this invention.

It is obvious now that with the wire ropes disposed in any desired position and provided with dumping buckets, which will be filled by manualflabor, and discharging at any point into the receiver or hopper, it will be possible to completely recover all mate? rial left in the bottom of the pond or paddock, however rough or irregular the bedrock formation may be, by means of the rope tram and bucket elevating apparatus before described which is erected on a pontoon equipped with the ordinary endless chain bucket or suction cutter and accessory dredging apparatus now. in commonuse.

The invention possesses other advantageous features,- some of which, with the fore going, will-be made manifest in the following description, where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I. have selected for illustration in the-drawings accompanying andforming part of the pres ent specification. x f 1 Referring to said drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a dredge embodying my invention. 1

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the dredge.

Referring now in detail to the drawings the pontoon 1, which is water-tight, and'constructed, with its superstructure of Wood, steel or other suitable material, is adapted either to float in a pond or paddock or to rest stationary on the bottom of" such pond or paddock after the water has been. pumped. out.

This pontoon 1 haserectcdupon it a suction cuttter 2 of any known design (in the drawings the pontoon 1 is shown as fitted with. a suction-cutter-dredge, but it can be equally well fitted with a bucketdredge of. any known design).

Connecting with the suction cutter 2 1s a. gravel. pump 3',v by means of which the material is forced through pipe 4 and led into the hopper or receiver 5 and is dropped. by means: of outlet hole 6 into the puddler or screen 7', whence it is; discharged into thwart-- ship sluices or launders 8 connecting with collecting or concentrating tables 9 from which the. tailings are discharged in any convenient. manner.

Mounted on. the pontoon l is, a derrick pole or mast 10, or other structure, from which. are extended ropes 11 which may be anchored to. posts or anchors 12.

Upon these wire ropes 11 are supported trolleysor carriers13 of any desired form, preferably provided with self-tripping appliances andother automatic features commonly used.

' 13 are suspended bucketslt, preferably provided with self-dumping and other automatic features in. common use, by means of a pull or hoisting line 15 which is led down the derrick pole or mast, or other structure 10, to a winch 116 provided with any required number. of drums. Around the derri'clt -pole or mast or other structure 10, thehopper orrreceiver 5, described above, is erected in. such-.ma-nnerthat the circumference or outeredge of such. receptacle projects beyond the derrick mast or pole in every radial direction, andrthat. it thus enables the wire ropes 11 to be disposed in any radial position and; to allow the buckets 14 to dump their contents into the hopper or receiver 5 at any point, and enables such contents to drop through the common outlet hole- 6' into the puddler or screen 7, orenabl'es themate-rial so dumped to bedisintegrated, while. still in the hopper or receiyer 5,.by means of a jet. of. water under pressure-being brought tolbear thereon, thus eliminating: thepuddler or screen 7, and to be discharged through the common outlet hole6 to the thwartship sluices or launders 8 and concentrating tables 9.

The rope tram and bucket. elevating apparatus only comes into play after the suction-cutter or bucket-dredge has removed theground above the top ofthe bedrock pinnacles while the pontoon is afloat, preparatory to cleaning out the earth from the holes and crevices in the bedrock by means From. the trolleys or carriers.

pit will be conducted, so that? water. will bev proirided for the receiving hopper 5 and for the concentrating tables 9,.and. at the same time raise tonthe receiving hopper 5 any portion of the ground? which. may be lflrought by the water current intothe sump ol'e.

The whole general operation may be.

short-1y described as follows:

The pond or paddock, on. which it is. de-

sired to operate, is. first flooded and. the.

pontoon floated into it and placed in any required positiolnbeingmoved. about from time totime as occasion may require.

The suction cutter or bucketline, as the.

case may be, is then setin motion and proceeds to work all-of the ground which it is. v

possible practice.

After the suction. dredges cutters or outand, the pontoon comes torest inany convenien part Of thepaddock.

After the pontoon hasso come to rest,

the wire ropes are run. out. fromthe. derrick pole or mast or other structure and anchored any convenient positions, and the self-dumping buckets are setinv motion.

Thebuckets arefilled by manual labor and dump into the hopper above described, and so intoithepuddlenor screen and thence to the. concentrating I tables, or direct to the concentratingtables after disintegration in the hopper or receiver, as above described.

The outstanding feature. of my invention is that it enablesthe,. ground .to. be. worked, so far as possible, by theordinary-dredging process, and enables. theremaining ground left in the inequalities bythat process to be subsequently completely Worked, the whole being accomplished by one combined unit machine mounted on, one pontoon and in one practically continuous. operation.

It isto be understoodthat various. modifications may be nnade inthe construction and. arrangement as shown-in the drawings, and as particularly hereinbefore;described, and still be within the scope of; this invention,

ll claim:

1. The combination with. a. pontoon having suction type or bucket type dredging apto work Present dredging" bucket. have completed;- their work, the, water in. the pond or paddock is pumped.

paratus arranged thereon, of an elevated structure on said pontoon, a cable extending from said structure to a point remote from the pontoon, a bucket arranged to be moved along said cable to convey material and discharge it into a receptacle on said pontoon and sluices into which the material elevated by the bucket or the dredging apparatus is directed.

2. The combination with a pontoon having suction type or bucket type dredging apparatus arranged thereon, of a hopper into which said dredging apparatus discharges, an elevated structure on said pontoon adjacent said hopper, a cable secured to said structure and extending to a point remote from said pontoon and a movable bucket on said cable arranged to discharge its contents into said hopper.

3. The combination with a pontoon having dredging apparatus arranged thereon, of a hopper on said pontoon, an elevated structure arranged adjacent said hopper, a cable secured to said structure and extending across said hopper to a point remote from said pontoon and a bucket movable along said cable adapted to discharge into said hopper.

4. The combination with a pontoon, of a hopper arranged thereon, an elevated structure arranged adjacent said hopper, a cable secured to said structure and extending across said hopper to a point remote from said pontoon, a bucket movable along said cable and adapted to discharge its contents into said hopper and a pump having a discharge pipo opening into said hopper.

5. The combination with a pontoon, of a receiver arranged thereon, an elevated structure arranged adjacent said receiver, a cable secured to said structure and extending to a point remote from said pontoon, a bucket movable along said cable adapted to convey material which is directed into said receiver and a pump having a discharge pipe for directing water into said receiver.

6. The combination with a pontoon, of a receiver arranged thereon, a cable disposed adjacent said receiver and having one end anchored at a point remote from the pontoon, a bucket movable along said cable and adapted to convey material to said receiver and a; pump for supplying the water necessary to wash said material.

7. The combination with a pontoon, of a hopper arranged thereon, an elevated structure arranged adjacent said hopper, a cable secured to said structure and extending across said hopper to a point remote from said pontoon, a bucket movable along said cable adapted to discharge material into said hopper, sluices arranged below said hopper and a pump for supplying the water necessar to wash the material.

11 testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN F. NEWSOM. 

